Noise Proofed Ventilated Air Intake Chamber for Electronics Equipment Enclosure

ABSTRACT

A system and method are disclosed for enclosing electronic equipment in a noiseproofed and ventilated enclosure. This includes supplying air to an enclosure and removing air from the enclosure through acoustic chambers attached to the enclosure. The acoustic chambers can be constructed of materials or be treated with materials that have noise-absorbing or noise-abating properties. In addition, the acoustic chamber for exhausting air from the enclosure can contain baffles that help to prevent noise that has entered the acoustic chamber from leaving the chamber. And, the system and method can use a cable egress port that allows cables and wiring to pass through the egress port while blocking the transmission of noise through the egress port.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent applicationNo. 11/489,785, filed on Jul. 20, 2006, entitled “Noiseproofed andVentilated Enclosure for Electronics Equipment”, which claimed thebenefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) from U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/783,233 filed Mar. 17, 2006, entitled “Soundproofed,Ventilated Enclosure for Electronics Equipment,” both of which areincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to enclosures for electronics equipment.More particularly, the present invention relates to enclosures forelectronic equipment that have the capability to ventilate theelectronic equipment contained in the enclosure and reduce noiseemanating from the enclosure.

2. Description of Related Art

The amount of electronic equipment found in the office and home hasincreased dramatically in recent years. For example, in an officeenvironment, the use of server computers is commonplace. Likewise,high-speed Internet access is becoming increasingly available, adding tothe amount of electronic equipment in use in the office environment,e.g. T1 or T3 connectivity equipment, ADSL or cable modems, Ethernetrouters, and Wi-Fi access points. It is generally desirable toconcentrate such equipment in a single location. Therefore, co-locatingservers, network hardware, and other equipment simplifies the care forand maintenance of this equipment.

As the speed and power of today's computer and electronic equipment hasincreased, so has the amount of “noise” and heat produced by suchequipment. This is in part due to the physical size of the variousdevices becoming smaller and smaller which further complicates coolingthe computer and electronic equipment. This is realized by there beingless surface area available for heat exchange. This means that theremust be increased airflow through the equipment casing to effectcooling. The amount of noise also is increased because the coolingequipment is more powerful, to provide greater capacity, and suchcooling equipment also generates more noise.

The noise from the fans and airflow is compounded by the concentrationof equipment in a single location. Further, there have been attempts todecrease noise by placing equipment in sealed enclosures. However, thisattempt to trap noise also trapped heat in the sealed enclosure that wasgenerated by the equipment. The inability to remove the trapped heat hasinduced equipment failure. To combat this, modem enclosures have beenvented in an attempt to provide adequate airflow to the equipment.Venting the enclosure allows much of the noise created by computers andelectronic equipment to escape the enclosure.

A perceived solution to the noise problem was to provide a dedicatedelectronic equipment room, e.g., a dedicated server room. These roomsare very often sealed and provided with a separate air conditioningsystem to remove the heat created by the equipment and maintain atemperature for safe operation of the equipment. Depending on the amountof equipment and size of the room, they can also include noise abatementmeasures. However, there are a number of drawbacks to this solution.Providing a dedicated electronic equipment room is expensive and oftenrequires valuable office space to be sacrificed. In addition, althoughnoise levels can be reduced outside the dedicated equipment room, thenoise level in the dedicated equipment room can be quite high. This cancreate an unpleasant, and sometime harmful, environment for those whomust work on or with the electronic equipment.

Similar problems with noise were encountered in the home environment. Asthe amount of audio and video equipment in the home increases, so doesthe level of noise produced by the need to cool such equipment. Forexample, a common home theater system often includes one or more of thefollowing items: a cable signal converter box, a satellite video tuner,a video cassette recorder (VCR), digital video recorder (DVR), a digitalvideo disc (DVD) player, an audio tuner/amplifier system, and/or a mediaPC. Many people find this vast collection of electronic equipmentunsightly.

To alleviate the problem, many home theater owners sought to hide theelectronic equipment inside of enclosures or furniture. These ownersencounter similar problems with heat and noise as do offices. Some hometheater equipment is cooled by natural convection rather than forcingair through the equipment casing with cooling fans. When equipment isplaced in an enclosure, heat is trapped, which can lead to equipmentfailure or a reduction of equipment life.

There is a need for a system and method that provides better noise andheat reduction for electronic equipment. The present invention overcomesthe problems of the past by providing a novel system and method as setforth in the remainder of this specification referring to the attacheddrawings.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for housingelectronic equipment that provides increased advantages in noise andheat reduction. An embodiment of the present invention includes anenclosure housing that has ventilation openings for the ingress andegress of cooling air. The enclosure housing may have acoustic chambersattached to it through which cooling air passes. The acoustic chambersof the embodiment are constructed of materials or are treated withmaterials that have noise-absorbing properties. In addition, theacoustic chambers are shaped so as to reduce the amount of noise leavingthe chamber. This embodiment also uses a cable egress port to allowcables and wiring to pass into and out of the enclosure housing whileblocking the transmission of noise through the egress port.

Another embodiment of the present invention includes an intake modulethat may be attached to the enclosure housing. This will permit air fromoutside the enclosure to flow into the enclosure through the intakemodule while reducing noise traveling in a direction opposite theairflow. The embodiment may also include an exhaust module attached tothe enclosure housing that allows air to flow from the enclosure throughthe exhaust module to the outside of the enclosure, again while reducingnoise traveling in the same direction as the air flow. The embodimentcan further include a cable egress port joined to walls of theenclosure. The cable egress port allows cables and wiring to pass intothe enclosure from outside the enclosure while blocking the transmissionof noise through the egress port.

Yet a further embodiment of the present invention includes a ventilatedhousing for electronic equipment that abates noise generated by theelectronic equipment disposed therein. The housing including a housingstructure that is capable of being closed except for at least one airingress opening and at least one air egress opening. The housing alsoincludes an air intake structure further comprising an intake inlet forreceiving outside air therethrough and an intake internal chamber influid communications with the intake inlet and an intake outlet. Theintake outlet exhausts air from the intake internal chamber and passessaid air into the housing structure, with the intake outlet beingaligned with the housing air ingress opening. The intake internalchamber is shaped such that noise emanating from within the housingstructure is substantially abated from exiting through the intake inlet.The housing also includes an air exhaust structure further comprising anexhaust inlet having at least a portion that extends into the housingstructure, with the exhaust inlet for receiving air passing from withinthe housing structure, and with the exhaust inlet further having aportion disposed at a first angle to a horizontal plane extendingthrough the housing structure and aligned with the housing air egressopening. The air exhaust structure also includes an exhaust internalchamber in fluid communications with the exhaust inlet and an exhaustoutlet; the exhaust outlet exhausts air from the exhaust internalchamber and passes air outside the air exhaust structure. The exhaustinternal chamber has at least one funnel-shaped baffle arrangementdisposed and positioned within the exhaust internal chamber, the bafflearrangement including at least two non-overlapping exhaust baffles, eachexhaust baffle being separately connected to the exhaust internalchamber and respectively being disposed at a second and third angle tothe horizontal plane extending through the housing structure, with theexhaust baffles having lower and upper ends. The separate lower ends aredistal to the exhaust inlet and spaced a first predetermined distanceapart. The separate upper ends are proximal to the exhaust inlet andspaced apart a second predetermined distance that is greater than thefirst predetermined distance. The exhaust baffles are disposed such thatnoise emanating from within the housing structure is abated from exitingthrough the exhaust outlet. The housing further includes noise-abatingmaterial disposed on at least a portion of at least one of thefunnel-shaped baffle arrangement, walls of the intake internal chamber,walls of the exhaust internal chamber, or internal walls of the housingstructure for abating noise emanating from the housing structure. Thehousing also includes a device associated with the air intake, airexhaust, or housing structures for moving air between the outside of thehousing structure and the inside of the housing structure through theair ingress opening.

The present invention will now be described in greater detail in theremainder of the specification referring to the attached drawings.

These and other aspects of the present invention will be described indetail in the remainder of the specification, claims, and attacheddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an enclosure having features inaccordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an internal side view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating airflowthrough the module.

FIG. 3 shows an internal side view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating aninternal anti-resonant material coating.

FIG. 4 shows an internal top view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating aninternal anti-resonant material coating.

FIG. 5 shows an internal side view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating aninternal foam coating.

FIG. 6 shows an internal top view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustrating aninternal foam coating.

FIG. 7 shows both an internal side view and an internal top view of anintake module constructed according to an embodiment of the presentinvention illustrating a curved sidewall portion.

FIG. 8 shows an internal side view of an intake module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention illustratingoptional internal baffles.

FIG. 9 shows a cut-away perspective view of an exhaust moduleconstructed according to an embodiment of the present inventionillustrating airflow through the module.

FIG. 10 shows a cut-away perspective view of an exhaust moduleconstructed according to an embodiment of the present inventionillustrating noise reflection within the module.

FIG. 11 shows a side view of an exhaust module constructed according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 12 shows a cut-away rear view of an exhaust module constructedaccording to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 13 shows a perspective cut-away view of an enclosure illustrating acable egress port assembly in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

FIG. 14 shows the cable egress port assembly of FIG. 13 with a top coversecured in its place, illustrating a sealed egress port assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to systems and methods for enclosingelectronic equipment in a ventilated, noise reducing enclosure. Theenclosure of the present invention provides for ingressing air into anenclosure and egressing air from the enclosure through at least acousticchambers associated with the enclosure. The acoustic chambers may beconstructed of materials or be treated with materials that havenoise-absorbing properties. In addition, the acoustic chambers areshaped to prevent noise that entered the acoustic chamber from leaving.It is within the scope of the present invention that embodiments of thepresent invention can use a cable egress port that allows cables andwiring to pass through the egress port while blocking the transmissionof noise through the egress port.

FIG. 1, generally at 100, shows an embodiment of the present invention.Enclosure 100 is generally boxed-shaped, having six sides, including afront side 102, a rear side 104, a roof 105, a floor 107, a left side109, and a right side 111. Enclosure 100 can be an equipment rack withdimensions sized to comply with the Electronic Industries Alliance 19″rack specifications (e.g., EIA™-310-D). For purposes of illustration,portions of enclosure 100 are shown as transparent in order to aidunderstanding. However, it is understood that enclosure 100 can beconstructed of various materials, for example, wood, metal, or mediumdensity fiberboard covered with a wood, plastic, or metal laminate. Inthe embodiment, portions of the inside walls of enclosure 100 may becoated with materials that have noise-absorbing or noise-abatingproperties. Examples of materials useful for this purpose includeanti-resonant polymeric damping materials (for absorbing vibration)and/or polyurethane foam (such as that sold commercially as PYROSORBFlame Resistant Acoustic Foam). Preferably, the polyurethane foam can beeither flat foam (e.g., foam of 10 mm or 25 mm uniform thickness) or“egg box” foam. Examples of anti-resonant polymeric damping materialsinclude TS3 1.8 mm thick chlorinated polyethylene (CPE) flexiblepolymeric damping sheet used in the automotive industry. The dampingsheet may have adhesive backing to increase the ease of application.Other examples include one or a combination of polymer foams,fiberglass, carpet, and other anti-resonance sheet materials. Coatingportions of the inside walls of enclosure 100 with anti-resonantmaterials helps to reduce the amount of noise transmitted to the wallsof enclosure 100, thereby reducing the amount of noise passed to theoutside of enclosure 100 by the walls.

Electronic equipment (not shown) can be disposed in enclosure 100 andcan rest on floor 107 or can reside on shelves (not shown in FIG. 1)located in enclosure 100. Enclosure 100 has acoustic chambers in theform of two air intake modules 106 positioned adjacent to front side 102and an exhaust module 108 positioned near the top of rear side 104.Intake modules 106 and exhaust module 108 may be connected to enclosure100 in such a manner that preferably air will enter enclosure 100 nearfront side 102 and exit near rear side 104 when cooling fans are inoperation. Intake modules 106 and exhaust module 108 may be connected toenclosure 100 by friction grip connectors that allow for removal andreplacement of intake modules 106 and exhaust module 108 without the useof tools, or the modules may be fixedly joined to enclosure 100.

In FIG. 1, the sets of small arrows generally illustrate the directionof airflow through enclosure 100. According to the embodiment shown, airis drawn into bottom intake inlets 110 of intake modules 106. This airthen passes through the interior of intake modules 106 and entersenclosure 100 through vertical intake outlets 112. The air passesgenerally front to back, as shown by arrows 114, and passes throughand/or around electronic equipment located in the central portion ofenclosure 100, thereby cooling to the equipment. The air shown at 112and 114 travels to and up rear side 104, as shown by arrows 116, towardexhaust inlets 118 in exhaust module 108. After passing through theinterior of exhaust module 108, the air exits exhaust module 108 throughexhaust outlets 120. Although only one exhaust outlet is shown in FIG.1, a plurality of exhaust outlets may be available, such as the onelocated on the opposite side of exhaust module 108.

FIG. 2 shows a side view of left intake module 106 of FIG. 1 with aright-side wall 123 shown as transparent, illustrating airflow throughthe interior of intake module 106. As in FIG. 1, arrows generallyillustrate airflow through inlet module 106. As explained above, airenters intake module 106 through intake inlet 110. Although a singleintake inlet 110 is shown on the bottom of intake module, intake inlet110 can be located elsewhere on intake module 106. In addition, morethan one inlet can be provided, e.g., another intake inlet can beprovided on the top of intake module 106 (not shown).

The airflow exits intake module 106 through vertical intake outlets 112.Intake outlets 112 are positioned to convey the air to front side 102 ofenclosure 100. Intake outlets 112 are shown as rectangular openingshaving a generally vertical orientation. Intake outlets 112 can includeother shapes, e.g., a series of round openings positioned adjacent frontside 102 of enclosure 100. In this embodiment, the combined aperturesize of intake outlets 112 is greater than or equal to the aperture sizeof the intake inlet 110.

In this embodiment, intake module 106 has internal supports 117 thatspan the gap between the sidewalls of intake module 106. Internalsupports 117 provide increased rigidity to the sidewalls of intakemodule 106. These supports can be constructed of the same material usedfor the construction of enclosure 100. However, intake module 106 may beconstructed of a material that provides sufficient structural rigiditysuch that internal supports 117 are not necessary.

The interior surface of the walls of intake module 106 are coated withone or a combination of polymer foams, polyurethane egg box foam,fiberglass, self-adhesive rubber sheeting, carpet, and anti-resonancesheet materials, as described above. FIG. 3 shows the side view ofintake module 106 of FIG. 2, illustrating an anti-resonant coating 119on the interior surface of the walls of intake module 106. In thisembodiment, the preferred anti-resonant coating 119 is TS3 1.8 mm thick(CPE) flexible polymeric damping sheet, as described above. However, itis intended that other materials that suppress low frequency noisegenerated by the electronics inside enclosure 100 and prevents the noisefrom passing through the structure of intake module 106 may be used foranti-resonant coating 119.

FIG. 4 shows a top view of intake module 106 of FIG. 2, illustrating theanti-resonant coating 119. The relative thickness of anti-resonantcoating 119 is exaggerated for the purpose of illustration. FIG. 4 alsoshows intake outlets 112 and intake inlet 110.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show anti-resonant coating 119 covering a portion of theinside wall of intake module 106. However, it is also contemplated thatanti-resonant coating 119 can cover other portions of the walls ofintake module 106, as well as the entire inside surface of the walls andstill obtain a desired noise abatement effect.

FIG. 5 shows the side view of intake module 106 of FIG. 2, illustratinga foam coating 121 on the interior surface of the walls of intake module106. Foam coating 121 is placed over the top of anti-resonant coating119. In this embodiment, foam coating 121 is the egg box-style PYROSORBFlame Resistant Acoustic Foam, described above. This foam coating 121absorbs high frequency noise generated by the electronics insideenclosure 100 and prevents the noise from passing in the reversedirection of the airflow through intake module 106. Although not shown,the sidewall in the panel of the page is covered with a foam coating aswell.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of intake module 106 of FIG. 2, illustratingfoam coating 121. For the purposed of illustration, anti-resonantcoating 119 is omitted from the illustration and the relative thicknessof foam coating 121 is exaggerated. FIG. 4 also shows intake outlets 112and intake inlet 110.

FIGS. 5 and 6 show foam coating 121 covering the entire surface of theinside walls of intake module 106. However, it is also contemplated thatfoam coating 121 can cover only a portion of the walls of intake module106 and still obtain a desired noise abatement effect.

In addition to having anti-resonant and noise absorbing materialscoating the interior surface of the walls of intake module 106, intakemodule 106 is shaped to reduce the amount of noise that escapes intakemodule 106. FIG. 6 illustrates that noise entering intake module 106 isfocused onto foam coating 121 and reflects onto other foam-coatedportions of the interior surface of the walls of intake module 106.Because the interior surfaces of intake module 106 are treated withnoise-absorbing material, the noise loses energy with each reflection.If the noise eventually exits through intake inlet 110, its energy, andtherefore its volume, is greatly reduced. In this way, variousembodiments of the present invention provide for the free-flow of airinto enclosure 100 while reducing noise from escaping enclosure 100. Inaddition, although not required, intake inlet 110 is downward facing.This orientation of intake inlet 110 causes the noise to reflect off ofthe ground, and in some instances, reflect back into intake module 106through intake inlet 110, further reducing the amount of noise escapingenclosure 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment having an intake module 106 with acurved sidewall portion 113. Internal supports 117 act as a fulcrum toenable the straight sidewall portion to be bent along a curve line 115and provide rigidity to the sidewall portion. However, as shown in FIGS.4 and 6, the sidewalls of intake module 106 can also be straight.

As shown in FIG. 8, intake module 106 of another embodiment includesoptional internal baffles 149. Internal baffles 149 can be positioned asshown in FIG. 8, or they can be placed in other arrangements. Internalbaffles 149 can be coated with one or more of the noise absorbing orabating materials above and can reduce the amount of noise that escapesfrom intake module 106.

FIG. 9 shows a cut-away perspective view of exhaust module 108 of theembodiment, illustrating airflow through the interior of exhaust module108. Small arrows generally illustrate airflow through exhaust module108. Air from adjacent enclosure 100 enters exhaust module 108 throughexhaust inlets 118. After the air enters exhaust module 108, the airpasses between and then beneath internal baffles 126 and exits throughexhaust outlets 120. Three exhaust inlets 118 are shown in FIG. 9,however, it is understood that more or less than three inlets may beused and still be within the scope of the present invention. Althoughnot shown in FIG. 9, fans can be mounted in exhaust inlets 118 to drawair from enclosure 100 into exhaust module 108.

Exhaust module 108 can have an angled fan mount 124, which is angledrelative to a horizontal plane 145 extending through enclosure 100.Angled fan mount 124 forms a small channel that directs the air enteringexhaust module 108 generally toward internal baffles 126. Angled fanmount 124 reduces the backpressure exerted on fans mounted in exhaustinlets 118 and increases the airflow through exhaust module 108 ascompared to an exhaust module without angled fan mount 124. This aspectincreases heat removal from enclosure 100. The selection of the angle ofangled fan mount 124 relative to a rear wall 128 (as best shown in FIG.11) is a compromise between increasing the airflow through enclosure 100and reducing space occupied by angled fan mount 124 in enclosure 100.Angles of 30°-60° can be used successfully. The angle in the exampleembodiment is 45° relative to rear wall 128 of exhaust module 108.

FIG. 10 shows the cut-away perspective view of exhaust module 108 ofFIG. 9, illustrating noise reflections within exhaust module 108.Multi-segmented arrows generally illustrate example noise pathsemanating from enclosure 100 and show noise reflections off the interiorwalls and internal baffles 126 of exhaust module 108. The angle of fanmount 124 aids in creating noise reflections by directing noise enteringexhaust module 108 from enclosure 100 into rear wall 128 of exhaustmodule 108 (as best shown by FIG. 11). In addition, angled fan mount 124holds fans mounted in exhaust inlets 118 spaced away from rear wall 128.This spacing reduces the noise energy transmitted to rear wall 128,resulting in reduced noise transmission by rear wall 128 outside ofenclosure 100. Internal baffles 126 are disposed within exhaust module108 to drastically reduce noise passing from exhaust inlets 118 toexhaust outlets 120. In this embodiment, internal baffles 126 arepositioned so that there is not a line of sight between exhaust inlets118 and exhaust outlets 120.

An example noise path 130 shows noise entering exhaust module 108through exhaust inlet 118 and reflecting off of rear wall 128. The noisefurther reflects off of the interior surface of an opposite wall ofexhaust module 108 and then reflects off of internal baffle 126. In thisexample, because the interior surface of exhaust module 108 and thesurface of internal baffles 126 are treated with noise-absorbing ornoise-abating material (as described in detail below), the noise losesenergy with each reflection. If the noise eventually exits throughexhaust outlets 120, its energy, and therefore its volume, is greatlyreduced. In this way, embodiments of the present invention provide forthe free-flow of air out of enclosure 100 while drastically reducingnoise from escaping enclosure 100. The arrangement of internal baffles126 is not limited to only what is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. It iscontemplated that additional baffles may be provided between exhaustinlets 118 and internal baffles 126 and/or between internal baffles 126and exhaust outlets 120, and still be within the scope of the presentinvention.

FIG. 12 shows a cut-away rear view of exhaust module 108. As illustratedin FIG. 12, internal baffles 126 and the walls of exhaust module 108 canbe constructed of or treated with materials similar to those used forthe walls of intake modules 106 to render the walls and internal baffles126 noise-absorbing. Noise-absorbing material 132 can cover internalbaffles 126 as well as any other interior wall surface of exhaust module108. Although not shown in FIG. 12, the walls of exhaust module 108 thatlie in the plane of the page can also be covered with noise-absorbingmaterial. Similarly, as shown in FIG. 11, surfaces 133 of the exhaustmodule that are exposed to the inside of enclosure 100 can be coveredwith noise-absorbing material. Covering these surfaces withnoise-absorbing material increases the amount of noise energy absorbedinside of enclosure 100.

FIG. 12 also illustrates certain design aspects of internal baffles 126of the example embodiment. Internal baffles 126 are angled such that thesurface of internal baffles 126 are generally normal to exhaust inlets118 when viewed in the 2-dimentional view presented in FIG. 12, therebyforming a funnel-shaped baffle arrangement. In the example embodiment,internal baffles 126 are at an angle of 45° relative to the horizontal.Other angles may be used, depending upon the position of the exhaustinlets 118. In addition, a length L of internal baffles 126 is selectedto block a line of sight from right exhaust outlet 120 to the farleft-hand edge of exhaust inlets 118 (the same being true with regard tothe left exhaust outlet 120 and far right-hand edge of exhaust inlets118). These aspects increase the likelihood of reflecting noise energyaway from exhaust outlets 120.

Furthermore, ends 135 of internal baffles 126 are spaced apart by adistance D. Thus, in the cxamplc embodiment, internal baffles 126 arenon-overlapping. Ends 135 are also spaced apart from a bottom wall 137by a distance of at least one-half D. Thus, the total aperture formed bythe two spaces between ends 135 of internal baffles 126 and bottom wall137 is equal to or greater than the aperture formed by the space betweenends 135 of internal baffles 126. Likewise, the total aperture formed bythe two exhaust outlets 120 is equal to or greater than the apertureformed by the space between ends 135 of internal baffles 126. Theseaspects increase the airflow through exhaust module 108, therebyincreasing the heat removal from enclosure 100.

FIG. 12 also illustrates that in the example embodiment, upper edges 138of exhaust outlets 120 meet the base of internal baffles 126. Thisaspect of the embodiment prevents heat rising along the lower surface ofinternal baffles 126 from becoming trapped inside exhaust module 126.

FIG. 13 shows a perspective partial cut-away view of enclosure 100illustrating a cable egress port 134 in accordance with the embodiment.To illustrate the structure of egress port 134, a top cover 136 isremoved and spaced apart from the opening of egress port 134. Egressport 134 can be joined to floor 107 of enclosure 100 by various methodssuch that egress port 134 is removable or solidly attached. For example,egress port 134 can be joined to floor 107 of enclosure 100 by nuts andbolts, screws, or other fasteners, or, egress port 134 can be joined tofloor 107 by welding, soldering, or gluing. One advantage of adetachable egress port 134 is that it can be removed before relocatingenclosure 100, thereby avoiding possible damage to egress port 134because of its proximity to the ground.

Egress port 134 has four sides: a left upright side 139, right uprightside 141, a front upright side 142, and a bottom side 144. The sides arearranged so that when attached to floor 107 of enclosure 100, the threeupright sides surround a hole in floor 107. The four sides of egressport 134 form a rear-upward facing opening 140. With top cover 136removed, cables 146 can be placed into opening 140 of egress port 134without the need to thread cables 146 through opening 140. Thisadvantageously allows for placement of cables 146 having large endconnectors without the need to first remove the connectors and replacethe connectors once cables 146 are in position. Likewise, cables 146 canbe easy removed from opening 140 of egress port 134 without having tomodify end connectors present on cables 146.

The four sides of egress port 134 can be constructed of materialssimilar to those used for the walls of enclosure 100 described above.Likewise, the inside surfaces of the sides of egress port 134 can betreated or covered with materials that have noise-absorbing propertiessimilar to those mentioned above. In the example embodiment, the insidesurfaces of the sides of egress port 134 are coated with the TS3 1.8 mmthick flexible polymeric damping sheet described above to absorbvibration. Ten and/or 25 mm thick polyurethane foam is placed on top ofthe polymeric damping sheet covering the left and right upright sides.Egg box style polyurethane foam is placed on top of the polymericdamping sheet covering front upright side 142 and a portion of bottomside 144. Egg box style polyurethane foam is also placed on theunderside of top cover 136 such that when top cover 136 is secured inits place, the polyurethane foam layers on top cover 136 and bottom side144 are pressed together to form a noise-absorbing seal around cables146. Small vertical slits can be made in the polyurethane foam on thetop cover 136 to facilitate sealing around cables 146.

FIG. 14 shows cable egress port 134 of FIG. 13 with top cover 136secured in its place, illustrating a sealed egress port assembly. Acable passage 148 remains open to enclosure 100 to allow cables 146 toenter enclosure 100. However, any noise entering cable passage 148 isprevented from exiting egress port 134 because of the arrangement ofnoise proofing materials described above.

The terms and expressions that are employed herein are terms ofdescription and not of limitation. There is no intention in the use ofsuch terms and expressions of excluding the euivalents of the featureshown or described, or portions thereof, it being recognized thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

1. A housing for abating noise generated from within the housing, thehousing comprising: an intake inlet in fluid communication with anintake internal chamber for receiving outside air therethrough; anintake outlet for exhausting air from the intake internal chamber into ahousing structure; the housing structure having an air ingress openingin fluid communication with the intake outlet of the intake internalchamber, and the housing structure having an air egress opening forpassing air outside the housing structure; and noise-abating materialdisposed on at least a portion of internal walls of the intake internalchamber.
 2. The housing of claim 1, further comprising at least onesupport structure within the intake internal chamber for supporting thewalls of the intake internal chamber.
 3. The housing of claim 1, whereinthe noise-abating material is at least one of a polymer foam, apolyurethane foam, an anti-resonant polymeric damping sheet, fiberglass,carpet, a rubber sheet, or a chlorinated polyethylene flexible sheetmaterial.
 4. The housing of claim 1, wherein a first cross sectionalarea of the intake outlet is equal to or greater than a second crosssectional area of the intake inlet.
 5. The housing of claim 1, thehousing further comprising at least a front upright side, a rear uprightside, a left upright side, and a right upright side, with the intakeoutlet including at least one opening disposed to deliver air to a spaceadjacent to the front upright side.
 6. The housing of claim 1, furthercomprising: a second intake inlet in fluid communication with a secondintake internal chamber for receiving outside air therethrough; a secondintake outlet for exhausting air from the second intake internal chamberand passing said air into the housing structure; the housing structurehaving a second air ingress opening in fluid communication with thesecond intake outlet of the second intake internal chamber; andnoise-abating material disposed on at least a portion of internal wallsof the second intake internal chamber.
 7. The housing of claim 1,further comprising an air exhaust structure, the air exhaust structureincluding: an exhaust inlet having at least a portion that extends intothe housing structure, with the exhaust inlet for receiving air passingfrom within the housing structure, and with the exhaust inlet furtherhaving a portion disposed at a first angle to a horizontal planeextending through the housing structure and aligned with the housingstructure air egress opening; an exhaust internal chamber in fluidcommunications with the exhaust inlet and an exhaust outlet; the exhaustoutlet for exhausting air from the exhaust internal chamber and passingair outside the air exhaust structure; at least one funnel-shaped bafflearrangement disposed and positioned within the exhaust internal chamber,the baffle arrangement including at least two non-overlapping exhaustbaffles, each exhaust baffle being separately connected to the exhaustinternal chamber and respectively being disposed at a second and thirdangle to the horizontal plane extending through the housing structure,with the exhaust baffles having lower and upper ends, the separate lowerends being distal to the exhaust inlet and spaced a first predetermineddistance apart, the separate upper ends being proximal to the exhaustinlet and spaced apart a second predetermined distance that is greaterthan the first predetermined distance, the exhaust baffles beingdisposed such that noise emanating from within the housing structure isabated from exiting through the exhaust outlet; and noise-abatingmaterial disposed on at least a portion of at least one of thefunnel-shaped baffle arrangement, internal walls of the exhaust internalchamber walls, or internal walls of the housing structure for abatingnoise emanating from within the housing structure.
 8. The housing ofclaim 7, wherein at least one of the exhaust baffles is disposed so thatother than a direct line of sight exists between the exhaust inlet andthe exhaust outlet.
 9. The housing of claim 7, further comprising adevice associated with the intake internal chamber, air exhauststructure, or housing structure for moving air between the outside ofthe housing structure and the inside of the housing structure throughthe air ingress opening.
 10. The housing of claim 7, wherein a firstcross sectional area of the exhaust outlet is equal to or greater than asecond cross sectional area of the exhaust inlet.
 11. The housing ofclaim 10, wherein a third cross sectional area of an aperture formed bythe exhaust baffles and the internal walls of the exhaust internalchamber is equal to or greater than the second cross sectional area ofthe exhaust inlet.
 12. The housing of claim 7, wherein the air exhauststructure is removably joined to the housing structure.
 13. The housingof claim 7, wherein the air exhaust structure is integrally formed withthe housing structure.
 14. The housing of claim 7, further comprisingmore than one air exhaust structure associated with the housingstructure.
 15. The housing of claim 7, wherein the first angle isbetween about 30 degrees and about 60 degrees.
 16. The housing of claim15, wherein the first angle is about 45 degrees.
 17. The housing ofclaim 7, wherein the second angle is between about 30 degrees and about60 degrees.
 18. The housing of claim 17, wherein the second angle isabout 45 degrees.
 19. The housing of claim 1, further comprising a cableegress port, the cable egress port comprising: a port structure adaptedto be received at a port opening in the housing structure, the portstructure including an open back and top, and a removable cover; theremovable cover being capable of being fixed to the port structure toaccommodate a plurality of different sized cables; and noise-abatingmaterial being disposed inside the port structure and on the internalsurface of the removable cover such that when the cover is fixed to theport structure, the noise-abating material disposed on the internalsurface of the removable cover mates with the noise-abating materialinside the port structure to substantially seal at least one cablepassing through the port structure into the housing structure such thatnoise emanating from the housing structure is abated from exitingthrough the port structure.
 20. The housing of claim 19, wherein thenoise-abating material disposed on the internal surface of the removablecover is at least one of a polymer foam, a polyurethane foam, ananti-resonant polymeric damping sheet, fiberglass, carpet, a rubbersheet, or a chlorinated polyethylene flexible sheet material.
 21. Thehousing of claim 19, wherein the noise-abating material disposed insidethe port structure is at least one of a polymer foam, a polyurethanefoam, an anti-resonant polymeric damping sheet, fiberglass, carpet, arubber sheet, or a chlorinated polyethylene flexible sheet material.